Rapper, Prodigy Of Mobb Deep, Dead At 42

Rapper Albert “Prodigy” Johnson, who brought us ’90s hits like “Shook Ones, Part II”, “Quiet Storm” and more, has died. He was only42.

He suffered from health issues throughout his life, including sickle cell anemia, however it still isn’t clear what the cause of death is. Sickle cell anaemia is a condition in which red blood cells contort into a sickle shape and die early, leaving a shortage of healthy red blood cells. The condition can lead to a painful blockage of blood flow.

“It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep”, his publicist said in a statement. “Prodigy was hospitalized a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anaemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth. The exact causes of death have yet to be determined. We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family’s privacy at this time.”

The son of a long line of musicians, Prodigy co-founded the hip-hop duo Mobb Deep with Kejuan Muchita, better known as Havoc, in the early 1990s.